Fondu au Noir
by ewokling
Summary: "They call you 'the Queen', you know." His duty is to solve cases. Hers is to protect him whatever the cost. When Kira threatens their livelihood it causes an uproar the likes of which they can't even begin to imagine. L/OC.


She studied the brushstrokes the oil made on the wood nearly 400 years ago and chewed delicately on her lower lip. Her raven-haired companion was a mere three feet away, holding up a brochure between his thumb and index finger and eyeing the girl with increasing impatience.

"I do not wish to disturb you but I must impress upon the importance of getting back to Japan."

The girl nodded weakly, eyes lingering on the dumbstruck face of Icarus expertly painted onto the ancient wood.

Her name was H, one name. Hikari if you needed another.

Rarely anybody ever did, but when asked that was the name she was instructed to respond with since she was old enough to comprehend the word "compromise", which wasn't very old at all.

After finishing a very stressful ordeal in Los Angeles, Hikari thought it best to get away for a while. After a very brief visit to the Lizardi Harp Gallery to see a statue of Icarus constructed of iron and bronze, Hikari dragged her companions across the globe to Belgium. Partially to try and take the boy's mind off of his most recent case, and mostly because she hadn't seen The Fall of Icarus in person yet.

So there they were, walking out of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, or Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts.

Hikari looked back at the expansive building, squinting against the sun. The older gentleman who was accompanying them smiled warmly at her.

"Do not fret, miss. There will be plenty other opportunities for you to look at brilliant works of art. Crime occurs all across the globe after all."

She nodded, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear and adjusting her cardigan as she stepped into the classic Mercedes.

"We should be arriving in Tokyo around 2 in the morning if the jet is prepared when we arrive at the airport," The elderly man relayed to the two young adults in the backseat.

"Thank you, Watari," The raven-haired boy replied softly, choosing to stare intently out the car window, thumb pressed to his lower lip.

Hikari could never quite understand what her fascination with the Greek Icarus myth was, just that from the first time she read the story when she was younger she was intrigued. Her pursuit of understanding the myth and looking over artworks inspired by it dated back as long as she could remember, exactly how she couldn't imagine not being in the presence of her two companions almost constantly.

His name was L. Ryuzaki. Eraldo Coil. Denueve. Whatever alias you referred to him by was as eccentric as they were renown.

She knew his real name, of course, and he hers. An incredible honor considering how dangerous their true identities were in the wrong hands. The only three souls on Earth who knew the name of the legendary detective known as L were sitting in that classic Mercedes.

The reason for the sudden rush to Japan was due to the fact that an unexplained phenomena was sweeping the globe. Criminals were dropping dead left and right, regardless of whether they were on death row or not, without any indication as to why.

All heart attacks. All random times. There was no doubt they were all connected, however, and L was sure that the person or persons behind it were located in Japan.

L was still drained after what happened with the Los Angeles BB Murder Case, and such an enticing and no doubt stressful case so recently after caused Hikari to worry.

- 1990 -

"_It's a myth about the dangers of over-ambition and hubris."_

_The young girl looked up from her book to see wide gunmetal eyes staring back at her intently. She hadn't actually been re-reading the book, but rather contemplating what it meant to find purpose in life._

_She looked around the vast library, satisfied that they were alone before speaking._

"_I assumed as much," She replied softly, both intrigued and intimidated by the stark contrast between the boy's pale skin and raven hair._

"_Then why do you keep reading it over again?"_

_Hikari shrugged, wondering if the boy had blinked once since he spoke to her. _

_He didn't have a discernible accent, and his facial features weren't a giveaway to his nationality. Hikari knew then that they were incredibly similar; genetic mutts. Her own heritage was scattered across the world from what she had researched and dug up. Isreali, Japanese, and French. This boy must be the same, a smattering of countries in his family. _

_She wondered how she hadn't noticed the deep-seated circles under his eyes until now._

"_Why did you come talk to me today?" She questioned him, closing her large book and leaning on it. "You're always in here but you never talk to anybody. Why me?"_

"_You're the same," the boy replied simply._

_Hikari was about to ask him to clarify when the library door opened and a loud group of voices startled her._

_In walked the first chunk of the alphabet, minus F. They were boisterous and confident, and Hikari silently prayed they didn't notice the pair of them._

"_Well look who it is!"_

_Too much to hope for, she guessed. _

"_Hey L, what are you doing here? Don't you know dinner's being served?" Christian sneered. "You don't sleep and now you don't eat, pretty soon you'll disappear!"_

_Anger boiled in Hikari's seven-year-old body, and she stood up, gripping the large book of myths tightly in her tiny hands. _

_She was shorter than all of them, but she'd be damned if she was going to let Christian and company prey on the awkward boy who had managed the courage to talk to her this evening._

"_Leave him alone, you git! He didn't do anything to you."_

_Christian finally turned his eyes onto Hikari. "Stay out of this, it has nothing to do with you."_

_Hikari straightened her back, glaring daggers at the blonde boy in front of her. "You're harassing my __**friend**__, so yes it has something to do with me. Now back off or I'll clobber you."_

_The group of boys laughed voraciously. "I'd like to see you try Hikari! I bet you couldn't hit anything with those tiny fist-"_

_In a second Hikari had braced herself, rearing the large book back and bringing it forward to strike him in the side of the head. Christian was knocked onto the floor, barely conscious from the force of the blow. Hikari stepped back and glared angrily._

"_I warned you. Now leave him alone or I'll give the rest of you the same treatment!"_

_She grabbed the pale boy's hand and lead him out the library doors, huffing angrily. _

"_God. You'd think they'd be a littler more accepting of nonconformity, being genii and all," she said, practically dragging the poor boy behind her at the pace she was going. "The island of misfit orphans and what not."_

"_Is that your name? Hikari?"_

_It finally came to Hikari that maybe she was walking a little too fast for her new friend, and she slowed down, an apologetic smile on her face. "In a manner of speaking. Yeah, sorry I never formally introduced myself. I'm Hikari, otherwise known as H."_

"_I'm L," the boy said, extending his hand for her to shake. There were some orphans who refused to go by any name except their given letter. Hikari accepted immediately._

"_I promise from now on nobody is going to dare pick on you again. Or else they'll undoubtedly have concussions too."_

_For the first time since Hikari had first encountered L in the library, she saw the faintest trace of a smile tug at the corners of his lips. _

The whistle of a tea kettle awoke Hikari from her sleep, and she shook away the memories of the past from her head, looking over to where Watari was pouring tea for her and L.

The aforementioned detective was sitting on the floor staring intently at his computer screen.

They had gotten into Japan early in the morning, and though L was plagued with horrible insomnia, Hikari slept enough for the both of them, and this time was no exception.

Watari placed two mugs in front of Hikari and L before bowing slightly.

"L, I'm leaving for the ICPO meeting now. Is there anything you would like me to purchase before coming back here?"

L was quiet before responding. "More sugar cubes and cherries, if you don't mind, Watari."

"Of course, sir." And with that he was out the door.

"ICPO meeting?" Hikari asked, sipping her tea. Oolong.

"Yes," L responded, biting his thumbnail. "They wish to speak with me about this business of criminals being murdered. Apparently these country officials and representatives can't bring up the issue without inciting an argument." He sighed softly. "How childish."

"Do you have an idea of what you're going to say to them?" Hikari asked, handing L three packages of sugar cubes for his tea.

"More or less."

Hikari sighed, settling down on the floor closer to the detective and watching the screen, waiting for Watari to introduce L to the ICPO conference.

She didn't have to wait long before the video feed from Watari's camera showed up on L's screen, displaying the officials from different countries. L cleared his voice before speaking into the microphone.

"Members of the ICPO, I am L.

This case is unprecedented in scope and difficulty because it involves more people than any other case before..."

Truth be told, watching this was Hikari's favorite part of being alongside L. Most times when you talked to him his monotonous voice was slow and lilting, as if mirroring his sleep-stolen appearance. When he did take up the reigns and assert his position as the world's greatest detective, however, the authority in his voice made Hikari internally smirk. This was the L that struck fear into hearts of criminals everywhere. This was the L that she admired so much.

"...I thank you for your cooperation."

"'Directly confronting with the culprit'?" Hikari asked when the feed was disconnected.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm not actually going out into public. However, I will be addressing the public as well as this mysterious killer." L lifted the mug and stared into it with his overcast eyes. "I feel as though I must take on the offensive if I'm to learn more about whoever is behind this."

There was a comfortable silence as Hikari finished her tea and L added an inordinate amount of sugar cubes to the drink.

"They call him Kira, you know."

L finally turned to meet Hikari's brown eyes, but her lids were closed, her cheek resting on the palm of her hand. "No doubt born from the English word 'Killer'," He said softly. "Hikari, please, rest some more. I'll awake you when I plan to make the public broadcast."

"Sorry..." Hikari breathed, sinking deeper into unconsciousness.

- 1990 -

"_Of all people, I never would have expected you to physically assault Christian!"_

_Hikari's cherub-y face sunk into a pout as she stared directly into Roger Ruvie's eyes._

"_Violence is never the answer, whatever the reason. You must know that. This cannot happen again."_

"_I can't guarantee it won't happen again!" Hikari replied, nails digging into her little fists. "They intimidated L. I gave him my word I would protect him from now on!"_

"_You gave him your word?"_

_Both Roger and Hikari looked up at the sound of another baritone voice coming from the doorway._

_An older man with a fedora and a mustache walking in, kneeling down next to where Hikari sat in the chair across from Roger. Roger himself stood up straighter in his seat._

"_Mr. Wammy."_

"_Roger," The elder man greeted him before turning back to where Hikari sat stunned. She had never expected to meet the man who had actually founded Wammy's House, but here he was before her. She tried to conceal her nerves but her trembling hands betrayed her._

"_You gave L your word you would protect him?" He repeated, and Hikari nodded. "And how worthy is your word?"_

_The girl's expression hardened, slightly insulted he was taking it into question. "My word is absolute. It's final. If anybody so much as looks at him funny again they will be cast down by my hands."_

_Quillish Wammy examined the girl before him. Her red hair, pale skin, demure frame, and short stature. The way her amber eyes were burning into him with anger, determination, and pride. _

_He remembered her. She had come in very recently, Wammy himself bringing her to the orphanage due to her heightened intellect. Although to date Roger hadn't reported anything of any other spectacularly gifted abilities, informing Wammy that all she did was read._

_Still, something told him he wasn't wrong to put his faith in this girl. _

"_You can't turn back now that you've given L your word, I understand that." Wammy grabbed one of the spare chairs in the room and positioned it in front of the young girl, settling himself down into it. "We must protect what we care about in this world." _

_Hikari opened her mouth to tell this man that she had only met L today, that they had only recently become friends, that what he was saying was far-fetched, but stopped herself when he realized she did care about the boy, considerably. She had seen him every day for hours at the library. There was a connection she had to him that she couldn't explain. So instead she nodded._

"_So now I must ask you to either fulfill your word or throw it away in lieu of what I'm about to tell you."_

_Anger flared inside her once more. "What kind of request is that? Of course I'm going to uphold my word. I already told you that my word is absolute. Nothing is going to change this. L is smarter than anyone in this building, probably anyone in the world considering his age. His potential has to be protected. He has to be protected. I won't abandon him. I made a promise."_

_A smile quickly flitted over Wammy's lips, hidden behind his mustache._

"_My dear, then I'm delighted to tell you that L is embarking to become the world's most brilliant detective. He will become a pillar of justice in this world, and since you've given your word you will embark on that journey beside him." He placed a warm hand on Hikari's shoulder, watching her eyes grow wider with each word. "I need someone committed to protecting him. Someone I can trust. Someone he can trust. And I daresay that's you, Hikari."_

"_I...M-Mr. Wammy," Hikari breathed, speechless. "I-"_

"_Please, address me as 'Watari' from now on."_

"_I promise, Watari," Hikari said, confidence growing in her voice as she spoke. "I won't let you down. I'll do whatever it takes."_

_Quillish Wammy smiled at the petite girl, getting up out of his chair. "There's no doubt in my mind that you will."_

_As his footsteps echoed the room and the door finally shut behind him, Hikari breathed an elated sigh as she realized she had finally found her purpose for living. The purpose was her first real friend. The purpose was L, the boy who she knew would one day become a figure of justice._


End file.
